The Zoo Check programme is at the heart of Born Free, and since 1984 has worked to prevent captive animal suffering and phase out zoos.
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Millions of animals suffer for human entertainment in zoos, circuses, marine parks and for tourists’ photos. Born Free challenges the multi-billion-pound global zoo industry; exposes suffering and fights cruelty; campaigns for tighter legislation; publishes ground-breaking reports; operates the Traveller’s Animal Alert campaign; co-ordinates the EndCap coalition linking animal welfare groups throughout Europe to end captive animal cruelty and suffering; and stops wild-animal exploitation in advertising, TV and films.
The Programme:
Challenges the multi-million pound global zoo industrySpeaks out for captive animals across the world
Investigates malpractice, neglect and cruelty
Exposes suffering and exploitation
Campaigns for tighter legislation and better animal welfare
Encourages a change in opinion from keeping animals in captivity to their protection in the wild
Zoos claim to contribute to conservation but very few breed endangered species or protect wildlife in the wild. The majority of zoo animals are not returned to the wild but instead live out their lives in captivity. As a concept, caging species in perpetuity, isolated from their natural habitat, is preservation not conservation.
Zoo Check Achievements
Ground-breaking reports including Captive Polar Bears in the UK and Ireland Zoochotic Report (1986), the Zoo Inquiry (1994), the Zoo Health Check (2001) and It’s time Parliament Changed its Act: An examination of the state of UK circuses with wild animals (2006).Launching Travellers Animal Alert to raise awareness about animal exploitation in the UK and abroad and encourage feedback by the public (2000)
Helping ensure the creation of an EU Zoo Directive (2002) to end the exploitation of animals in Europe’s slum zoos.
Stopping media exploitation eg the broadcast of ITV’s Man vs Beast (2004)
Surveying every UK zoo, and reporting that one in four operates without a licence (2004)
Launching and co-ordinating EndCap, the European Network to END the keeping of wild animals in CAPtivity (2005)
Successfully engaging the UK tourist industry to address animal welfare concerns (2005)
Encouraging English and Scottish Governments to ban the use of ‘certain wild animals’ in UK circuses (2006)
Exposing the failure by many Spanish regional authorities to properly implement national zoo law and the EU Zoo Directive (2006)
"We can learn as much about lions by studying them in their captivity as we can about men by studying them in their prison cells,"
Virginia McKenna
Born Free Founder & Trustee
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